


Black and White Christmas

by Anxeastrife56



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Christmas Fluff, Domestic Fluff, M/M, VanVen Week (Kingdom Hearts), Vanitas watches some Christmas movies for the first time, Ventus is enthusiastic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-26
Updated: 2019-12-26
Packaged: 2021-02-26 13:22:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,614
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21970006
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anxeastrife56/pseuds/Anxeastrife56
Summary: Since he was a kid, Ventus has always spent Christmas Eve watching Old Black and White Christmas movies. And now that Vanitas and him live together its about time Vanitas partakes in that tradition.OrVanitas has to watch these old movies he has never heard of because he loves Ventus.VanVen Week Day 6: Monochrome
Relationships: Vanitas/Ventus (Kingdom Hearts)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 12





	Black and White Christmas

**Author's Note:**

> Hello Hello!   
> It is now Day 6 of Vanven week. We are on the home stretch and I'm very excited.   
> I thought it would be fun to write about holiday movies and black-and-white movies seemed like they could fit the theme for today... well I hope it does! 
> 
> Please enjoy.

Vanitas had never seen _It's a Wonderful Life_ and Ventus was appalled. He had also never seen a _Miracle on 34th Street_ or _A Christmas Carol_ and Ventus felt like pulling out his hair. 

To say that Ventus was affronted would be an understatement.

"What do you mean you didn't even know about them? They are all Christmas classics!" He asks as he turned away from the Christmas tree he had just finished decorating. It was an eyesore, a mishmash of different ornaments because they hadn’t been able to agree on a singular theme for the tree. But even with how hideous it was, it did have a certain charm that made Ventus proud. And it was something they had done together so it meant the world to him.

"What, these your favorite movies or something?” Vanitas asks back, walking over to turn on the television. He sits down and starts to flip through channels, expression disinterested.

"No! But it's important to have traditions, especially during Christmas!”

Vanitas doesn't tear his eyes from the television so Ven continues his explanation.

"Terra, Aqua and I used to spend all of Christmas Eve watching really old Christmas movies. Eraqus would make hot chocolate for us and special popcorn with this awesome seasoning-” Ventus rambles, thinking back to all the fun they had had every year since he was a kid.

He suddenly realizes how badly he wants Vanitas to experience his family’s Christmas tradition. He knows that Vanitas hadn’t had a good family life and as a result didn’t put much stock in traditions. But he was now a part of Ventus’ family and Ven would make sure that he enjoyed their first Christmas together in this apartment. 

It would just take a little convincing. And Ventus was a master at that. 

* * *

They decide to watch the movies on Christmas Eve. The only reason Vanitas even agreed was because Ventus promised to watch one of his favorite movies next week. Vanitas wouldn't admit that maybe he wasn’t completely immune to Ventus’ pleading looks. He was only human.

So that evening when Vanitas finds himself in their cramped kitchen, watching smoke billow out from their old microwave, he can’t help but wonder if it is even worth it. He pinches the bridge of his nose and tries to calm down.

“How the fuck do you burn popcorn that badly?” He mumbles as Ventus sheepishly looks at his feet. 

“I left it for only a second!” the other man protests and Vanitas shoots him a skeptical look.“What are we gonna do? That was the last of the microwave popcorn!” Ventus says as he looks disappointingly at the microwave. 

Vanitas thinks for a bit. He remembers that there is a Twenty-Four Hours supermarket down the street that they could check out. He relays this to Ventus and the other man immediately perks up. 

“I’ll go get it.” He volunteers and doesn’t wait for Vanitas to answer before dashing out their apartment. Vanitas would have been impressed by how much Ven wanted to save this night if he wasn’t so preoccupied with mourning the loss of their microwave.

He moves to take the roasted popcorn out of the microwave. He opens the door and is hit with gray smog that makes his lungs burn. He coughs and fans at the fumes, praying that it doesn’t set off the fire alarm. 

Pinching the corners of the popcorn bag, he lifts it out of the microwave and tries to open it. None of it is probably salvageable but he thinks it wouldn't hurt to check. But all he sees is blackened kernels, so he dumps all of it and waits for Ventus to return.

* * *

Ventus returns in a record seven minutes, hoisting two packages of Jiffy-Pop popcorn over his head in victory. 

Vanitas looks up from his phone. “Took you long enough.” 

“Shut up! At least I got something! Nothing is ruining this movie night!” Ventus declares as he hurriedly walks into the kitchen. Vanitas gets up to follow, mostly to make sure that Ventus doesn’t somehow burn the apartment down in his attempts. 

“Do you even know how to make those?” He asks, leaning against the doorway, arms crossed over his chest.

“I can figure it out!” Ven snaps as he lights the stovetop. 

“Just don’t set anything on fire.” Vanitas snaps back, tone teasing.

“Just watch me, Oh-Ye-of-Little Faith”

He does figure it out eventually, smirking at Vanitas’ doubt. He then pushes Vanitas out of the kitchen while he makes the ‘special topping’ for the popcorn.

“Trade secret.” He says with a wink as he disappears back into the kitchen. 

* * *

Ventus sets the popcorn on the coffee table and plops down on the couch. Excitedly he pats the cushion next to him, beckoning Vanitas to join him. The dark-haired man rolls his eyes at Ventus’ childlike enthusiasm as he comes over to sit down. 

Ventus grabs up the remote to switch on the television.

The opening credits start-up and the first thing Vanitas notices is the monochrome. God, it was one of those old-timey movies, usually having bad audio and corny as hell acting. “Are all these movies in black and white?” He asks, already dreading having to sit through this snoozefest.

“Yeah, they’re from the 1930s to like... the 1950s or something. ” Ven states as he reaches to try some popcorn. Vanitas groans, which prompts Ventus to playfully smack him in the arm. 

“Nothing is wrong with black and white movies!”

“Yeah, if you’re a lame-ass hipster.”

That comment earns him another slap.

* * *

The first movie is _Miracle on 34th Street._

So far Vanitas can’t say whether he likes this first movie. It’s a little too ‘capitalism’ for Vanitas’ tastes; seeing ‘Macy’s’ so much in the first few minutes puts a funny taste in his mouth. But Ventus is enraptured, squeezing his hands with every swell of the soundtrack, laughing at the parts he finds funny. Watching a movie with Ven is always interesting, the man unable to keep silent for any long period of time. 

Soon the movie ends with some bullshit Christmas moral about believing in Santa and he can’t help snorting with laughter. 

“That was so corny!” He wheezes.

Ven looks at him and hums in consideration. “You’ll like the next one a lot better.”

Vanitas scoffs in disbelief but slings an arm around Ventus’ shoulder anyways.

* * *

Ventus is ultimately right. The second movie, _A Christmas Carol_ , is a lot more to Vanitas’ tastes. He can always get behind a shitty old dude getting put in his place. He pays a lot more attention, smirking at the melodramatic appearance of the ghosts that haunt Scrooge. It’s not scary when the ghost of Marley shows up, covered in noisy chains and practically wailing, but it is funny to look at. And he can admit that the effects are pretty good for a movie from the 30s. 

When the Ghost of Christmas Past appears she is dressed in a frilly princess outfit that looks like it belongs in _The Wizard of Oz_. The whole time she is on screen, Ventus gushes about how pretty the woman is... so much that Vanitas rolls his eyes and shoves popcorn into the boy’s mouth.

“Shut up already, I get it!”

“Aww, Vanny are you jealous? Don’t worry, I love you more! But she was my first crush!” 

The best part is the ghost of Christmas Future. It comes as a haunting specter, cloaked in black and as silent as a graveyard. And when he points at Scrooge’s grave, Vanitas shivers just a little bit. One thing he could say was that that the black and white somehow made the sadness and fear of the scene a lot more dramatic.

The ending is a little cheesy but not as bad as the first. He feels good that Tiny-Tim and his siblings get to have a good Christmas.

As the movie ends, Ventus gets up to run to the kitchen, returning a few minutes later with two mugs of hot chocolate. He hands one to Vanitas, filled to the brim with marshmallows, just the way he likes it. 

“The next one is one of my favorites!” Ventus enthuses before taking a sip. “You know how Scrooge got to see what the world would be like without him?” 

Vanitas wordlessly nods, enjoying the sweet warmth of hot chocolate. 

“Well, they do the same thing in this movie as well, but the framing of it is so different!” Ventus babbles excitedly and he reaches over to start up the next movie. 

Vanitas can’t help thinking that it does sound pretty interesting. “What’s this one called again?”

* * *

The last movie, _It’s a Wonderful Life_ , is a lot heavier than Vanitas had expected. The main character, George, starts off happy enough. But watching as events in his life fall through and he becomes increasingly dissatisfied is difficult. It makes Vanitas shift uncomfortably in his seat, slightly nauseous. He wonders how something so depression could have become a Christmas classic like Ventus said it had.

The only thing that makes it bearable is Ventus. The longer the movie goes on the sleepier Ven seems to get and a sleepy Ven always got cuddlier. His head nestles into the crook of Vanitas’ neck, eyes fluttering open and closed as he struggles to stay conscious. His arms come to wrap around Vanitas’ waist in a relaxed embrace. So it's almost worth it sitting through this. 

He once, in vain, tries to keep Ventus awake. “Hey idiot, the movie is still going on.” 

But his efforts only get a disjointed mumble out of the sleeping boy as he presses closer to Vanitas’ side. So he sighs, knowing that he is fighting a lost battle. Trying to wake Ventus up is like trying to meet a celebrity, not impossible but definitely not easy. Instead, he goes back to watching the movie.

When the main character’s business loses $8,000, the oppressive feeling comes to a head. He watches, anxious and enthralled as George takes his anger out on his family, then runs to the movie’s antagonist for help. Hearing George be told that he is “worth more dead than alive” hurts more than Vanitas cares to admit. 

The appearance of the angel is a sweet reprise, a beacon of kindness in the darkness. The Angel is kind to George, willing to help but kind of bumbling. Vanitas’ first thought is that he kind of reminds him of Ventus; an airhead who is helpful to a fault. His second thought is that the movie is making him too sentimental.

He watches as George experiences how dark the world would be if he hadn’t been born. It is only at the final scene that Vanitas understands what the appeal is. As he watches the man cry alone on the bridge, pleading to live once again, Vanitas’ eyes begin to blur. For a second, he is embarrassed for crying, but the longer the scene goes on the worse it becomes.

In the end, the entire town comes to help George and his family, repaying the kindness he had shown them before. Vanitas tries to keep quiet, to not cry out loud as to wake Ventus. But his body shakes a little and Ventus starts to stir.

“Van, what time is it?” He asks sleepily. He brings his head up to look at Vanitas in his face. Vanitas turns, embarrassed that a weird black and white movie made him cry even a little.

“It’s late...go to bed.” He replies. But Ventus suddenly understands what’s occurring as the characters on-screen come together to sing Auld Lang Syne.

Ven smirks as he wraps his arms tighter around Vanitas, giving him a playful squeeze. “Awww Vanny, it’s okay!” He reaches over to wipe the crying boy’s face but his hand is swiftly slapped away. “I cried the first time too…. though I was six….” 

“Shut up.” Vanitas snaps, voice still wet. 

He slowly detangles himself from Ventus and stands up, legs sore from sitting for so long. “This is stupid. I’m going to bed.”

Ventus makes to follow, first turning the television off then hopping off behind Vanitas.

It’s later, while they’re curled up in bed that Ventus turns to him. “Did you like the movies?”

Vanitas hears the hopeful lithe to Ventus’ words. He understands how important this tradition is to him. He is filled with a sudden adoration for Ven’s child-like love of all this family. Though it isn’t his forte, he wants to try, for Ventus’ sake.

“Yeah, I liked them.”

“So you would want to do this again next year? It doesn’t have to be the same movies as this year. There are other good ones …” Ven rambles before Vanitas cuts him off with a quick peck on the lips.

“Sure, sure, now go to sleep.”

* * *

That night when Vanitas closes his eyes his dreams are in black and white. The sky is a dull gray, oppressive and soul-sucking. He sighs in exasperation; this is what he gets for watching movies so late into the night.

When he looks down he is dressed in an ill-fitting suit, loose in all the wrong places. He is standing outside an old house, much better than he could ever afford. Looking around, he notices that no one is on the street and all the other houses are standing still, black against the grey backdrop and seemingly abandoned. 

He opens the door to the house in front of him and sees antique decor adorning a sweeping staircase. He walks over to the main area that he thinks is called a foyer. For a few minutes he just wanders, walking into the living room, and then an adjacent dining room. 

“Ven!” He calls as he looks around the strange house. He wonders if Ven is also trapped in the colorless world. A sound comes from the kitchen and he runs towards it. 

There Ventus stands, colors muted and an unnatural smile on his face, holding a turkey cooked fresh from the oven. “Hello hun, how was work?” He asks as he presses the turkey down and sweeps over to plant a kiss, dry and bristly, on Vanitas’ cheek. 

“What are you talking about?”

This Ventus stares at him then laughs thinly, “Oh honey, I meant how was your day at the bank! You must be so exhausted. Dinner is almost ready.” With that Ven turns, still smiling and heads to the staircase. “Kids, your father is home.” 

There is an ominous silence, then the rapid thudding of little feet against the wood upstairs. 

“Daddy!” Little voices scream as multiple children come rushing around the corner. Their faces are blank, just yawning swirls of black and white that seem like they want to suck Vanitas into their abyss.

He backs away until he bumps against this smiling Ventus. There is a pressure on his shoulder as he feels this Ven whisper in his ear, “Wake up Vanitas.”

Wake up

Wake up!

* * *

When Vanitas jerks awake, he is momentarily startled by a world in technicolor. It's disorienting and he takes a few seconds to take in his surroundings. He is in his bed, safe and sound.

“Dude took you long enough!” Ventus’ voice cries from the doorway.

Vanitas turns towards it and is greeted by the sight of Ventus’ bright blue eyes and sunny hair. He stares for a lot longer than necessary, happy not to see the black and white Ventus.

“Hurry up, lazy-bones, it's time to open presents.” Then Ventus dashes out the room.

Vanitas groans, and lifts himself out of bed. “He’s so lucky I love him.”

**Author's Note:**

> I actually watched Its A Wonderful Life for the first time while writing this. The ending made me actually cry so that was fun! I could definitely see myself watching it again next year.  
> The little dream Vanitas has at the end was just a fun addition that my sister suggested.
> 
> If you see any errors or if you have any critiques please feel free to let me know!  
> As always, Thank you for reading!


End file.
